One of the best things you can do to improve your sound is to add an amplifier to your system. Whether you like it loud or soft, extra power will breathe life into your music, bringing out all of its emotional excitement, impact, and fine detail. The good news is, the compact design of many amps makes it possible for more cars than ever to have one. The kind of amp you need will depend on what you’re planning to power.

What does an amplifier do?

• An amplifier boosts the sound to overcome road noise, improving your music’s clarity and intelligibility.
• It’ll increase your system’s headroom — the ability to play sudden blasts of music with power and ease, without distortion.
• Most aftermarket speakers sound better when powered by an amp than they would with just an in-dash stereo.
• A subwoofer requires an amplifier — bass sound waves take up lots of air space and need lots of power to propagate.